18 Interesting Facts About Elevators

We bet you don’t think much about elevators in your daily life; yet, they serve an extremely important purpose in our everyday lives. Elevators have had a great impact on modern architecture and design. Through the innovation of this travel system, we’re able to move through multiple levels quickly regardless of weight, changing the way we travel through the buildings that we encounter every day. Think about the elevators you encounter each day as you head to doctor’s appointments, malls, work, school, and points of interest on your vacations. With more than 900,000 elevators currently in operation in this country alone, that translates to about one elevator per 344 users. Travelling up and down an elevator or escalator may be part of your everyday routine, but here are 18 interesting facts about elevators that we think will make change the way you think of these machines.

America currently has over 700.000 elevators

Elevators are statistically the safest way to travel.

Elevators are twenty times safer than escalators.

24 elevators at the ancient Roman Colosseum were manually operated by the force of over 200 slaves.

Despite fears of getting stuck or free-falling in an elevator, riding in an elevator is actually safer than riding in a car. On average 26 people a year die in an elevator-related accident (mainly elevator technicians and not passengers) while 26 people die per hour in car-related accidents.

The avaerage user uses an elevator 4 times per day.

The first elevator that had manual user control was installed in New York Marriott.

Every three days, elevators carry the equivalent of the Earth’s population.

The Maximum altitude that one cable hoisted elevator can achieve is 1700 feet.

Every elevator is supported by multiple cables and each of those cables can safely carry entire elevator and its passengers.

The close button in an elevator is actually a “placebo” button, made to give passengers the illusion of control in their elevator journey. Since the 1990’s elevator manufacturers have removed the close function on most elevators since they close automatically.

In every three days elevators carry equivalent of entire Earth’s population.

The first public building elevator was installed in nine story high building in New York City.

The inventor of the modern day elevator Elisha Graves Otis formed a company that is supply’s the majority of today’s elevators.

The first written record of an elevator comes from 3rd century BC Greece. That simple elevator was invented by mathematician Archimedes.

Elevator music first appeared in 1920s to calm the fearful passengers who used the elevators for the first time.

Some of the most famous elevators can be found in Gateway Arch in St. Louis (cabin travels in a arch), Santa Justa Lift in Lisbon (one of the first steam powered lifts), Lacerda Elevator in Salvador (one of the busiest elevators in the world), Taipei 101 (rocked powered elevators!), Bailong Elevator in china (regarded to be biggest outdoor elevator), Louvre Elevator in France (its cabin is open) and Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas (it travels at the 39% degree).

Since the number is considered extremely unlucky in a lot of countries, a lot of buildings opt to remove the 13th floor from their floor plans. Otis Elevators Company estimates that approximately 85% of buildings with their elevators do not have a 13 button.